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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in IP9 (Babergh)

See if solar pays off for you in Babergh — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
11.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,050
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,046
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Costs: Battery prices are typically £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.53p/kWh with a 48.25p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1054 kWh/kW — 44 above the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1054 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
48.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1054 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £875, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2107 kWh 843 kWh 1264 kWh £224 £126 £350 £4,069 11.6 yrs £2,932
3 kW 3161 kWh 1264 kWh 1896 kWh £335 £190 £525 £6,104 11.6 yrs £4,398
4 kW 4214 kWh 1686 kWh 2529 kWh £447 £253 £700 £8,138 11.6 yrs £5,864
5 kW 5268 kWh 2107 kWh 3161 kWh £559 £316 £875 £10,173 11.6 yrs £7,330
6 kW 6321 kWh 2529 kWh 3793 kWh £671 £379 £1,050 £12,207 11.6 yrs £8,795
7 kW 7375 kWh 2950 kWh 4425 kWh £783 £443 £1,225 £14,242 11.6 yrs £10,261
8 kW 8429 kWh 3371 kWh 5057 kWh £894 £506 £1,400 £16,276 11.6 yrs £11,727

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,049, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2107 kWh 1264 kWh 843 kWh £335 £84 £420 £6,169 14.7 yrs £2,225
3 kW 3161 kWh 1896 kWh 1264 kWh £503 £126 £630 £8,204 13.0 yrs £4,388
4 kW 4214 kWh 2529 kWh 1686 kWh £671 £169 £839 £10,238 12.2 yrs £6,550
5 kW 5268 kWh 3161 kWh 2107 kWh £839 £211 £1,049 £12,273 11.7 yrs £8,713
6 kW 6321 kWh 3793 kWh 2529 kWh £1,006 £253 £1,259 £14,307 11.4 yrs £10,875
7 kW 7375 kWh 4425 kWh 2950 kWh £1,174 £295 £1,469 £16,342 11.1 yrs £13,038
8 kW 8429 kWh 5057 kWh 3371 kWh £1,342 £337 £1,679 £18,376 10.9 yrs £15,200

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,136, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2107 kWh 1475 kWh 632 kWh £391 £63 £455 £7,569 16.7 yrs £1,522
3 kW 3161 kWh 2213 kWh 948 kWh £587 £95 £682 £9,604 14.1 yrs £4,033
4 kW 4214 kWh 2950 kWh 1264 kWh £783 £126 £909 £11,638 12.8 yrs £6,543
5 kW 5268 kWh 3688 kWh 1580 kWh £978 £158 £1,136 £13,673 12.0 yrs £9,054
6 kW 6321 kWh 4425 kWh 1896 kWh £1,174 £190 £1,364 £15,707 11.5 yrs £11,565
7 kW 7375 kWh 5163 kWh 2213 kWh £1,370 £221 £1,591 £17,742 11.2 yrs £14,076
8 kW 8429 kWh 5900 kWh 2529 kWh £1,565 £253 £1,818 £19,776 10.9 yrs £16,587

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,162, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2107 kWh 1538 kWh 569 kWh £408 £57 £465 £9,319 20.0 yrs £-19
3 kW 3161 kWh 2307 kWh 853 kWh £612 £85 £697 £11,354 16.3 yrs £2,596
4 kW 4214 kWh 3076 kWh 1138 kWh £816 £114 £930 £13,388 14.4 yrs £5,211
5 kW 5268 kWh 3846 kWh 1422 kWh £1,020 £142 £1,162 £15,423 13.3 yrs £7,827
6 kW 6321 kWh 4615 kWh 1707 kWh £1,224 £171 £1,395 £17,457 12.5 yrs £10,442
7 kW 7375 kWh 5384 kWh 1991 kWh £1,428 £199 £1,627 £19,492 12.0 yrs £13,057
8 kW 8429 kWh 6153 kWh 2276 kWh £1,632 £228 £1,860 £21,526 11.6 yrs £15,673

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,180, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2107 kWh 1580 kWh 527 kWh £419 £53 £472 £11,069 23.5 yrs £-1,630
3 kW 3161 kWh 2371 kWh 790 kWh £629 £79 £708 £13,104 18.5 yrs £1,055
4 kW 4214 kWh 3161 kWh 1054 kWh £839 £105 £944 £15,138 16.0 yrs £3,740
5 kW 5268 kWh 3951 kWh 1317 kWh £1,048 £132 £1,180 £17,173 14.6 yrs £6,425
6 kW 6321 kWh 4741 kWh 1580 kWh £1,258 £158 £1,416 £19,207 13.6 yrs £9,110
7 kW 7375 kWh 5531 kWh 1844 kWh £1,467 £184 £1,652 £21,242 12.9 yrs £11,795
8 kW 8429 kWh 6321 kWh 2107 kWh £1,677 £211 £1,888 £23,276 12.3 yrs £14,480

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,197, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2107 kWh 1623 kWh 485 kWh £430 £48 £479 £13,519 28.2 yrs £-3,941
3 kW 3161 kWh 2434 kWh 727 kWh £646 £73 £718 £15,554 21.7 yrs £-1,186
4 kW 4214 kWh 3245 kWh 969 kWh £861 £97 £958 £17,588 18.4 yrs £1,569
5 kW 5268 kWh 4056 kWh 1212 kWh £1,076 £121 £1,197 £19,623 16.4 yrs £4,323
6 kW 6321 kWh 4868 kWh 1454 kWh £1,291 £145 £1,437 £21,657 15.1 yrs £7,078
7 kW 7375 kWh 5679 kWh 1696 kWh £1,507 £170 £1,676 £23,692 14.1 yrs £9,833
8 kW 8429 kWh 6490 kWh 1939 kWh £1,722 £194 £1,916 £25,726 13.4 yrs £12,587

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Insights for IP9

Figures below are tailored to IP9 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #268 of 2182
6.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~13 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #224 of 2997
10.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,207 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #196 of 2997
14.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,207 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1054kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1054 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 70% • Flats: 6% • Bungalows: 23% Based on 3,154 properties

Coverage

Babergh (93%)|Ipswich (7%)

Areas Covered

Orwell, Stour, Capel St Mary, Ganges, Alexandra, Copdock & Washbrook, Sproughton & Pinewood

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Eastern

IP2 (Ipswich)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,041 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP9
IP3 (Ipswich)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IP9
IP1 (Ipswich)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP9
IP4 (Ipswich)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP9
CO11 (Tendring)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,070 kWh/kWp · +2% vs IP9
IP8 (Babergh)
≈8.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP9

Similar sunshine across the UK

TN22 (Wealden)
~1,055 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP9
RH20 (Horsham)
~1,052 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP9
BH22 (Dorset)
~1,055 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP9